Albums
August: 18 albums you need to hear this month
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Shura 'Nothing's Real' (Polydor)
A pop superstar in the making, Shura grew up in Manchester, her mother a Russian actress and her father an English documentary filmmaker: unsurprisingly, she’s a smooth and smart operator with just a hint of La Roux’s melodic touch, especially on the deft pop stomper ‘Nothing’s Real’. The years spent pillaging her parent’s record and VHS collections have resulted in an album with lyrics as strong as the melodies, especially on the soaring synths of ‘What Happened To Us’ (“I’m no child but I don’t feel grown up”, she sings brilliantly). And the incredible closing salvo of ‘Tongue Tied’, ‘Make It Up, ‘2Shy’ and closer ‘White Light’ reminds us time and time again that Shura’s here to stay.
8/10
